


WHAT IT TAKES

by DrawingBooks_Louayokes_5



Series: Markhyuck [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Chatting & Messaging, Crushes, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, First Dates, First Relationship, First big fight, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, Idiots in Love, M/M, Polyamory, Secret Crush, chaotic idiots, i don't really know how to tag this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:42:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25364053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrawingBooks_Louayokes_5/pseuds/DrawingBooks_Louayokes_5
Summary: “Don’t say you don’t have time, Hyung, we’ve got to meet up today. I really want to see that one movie and Mark said he wouldn’t go with me. You’re not my second choice, though, I would have asked you anyway.”Renjun sighed. “Are you done?”“Yeah, but you’re not busy.”“Why are you stressing that? I’m not busy with school stuff, but I’m watching something right now.”As expected, Donghyuck began to argue with him. “You can watch that at any time. The movie won’t play tomorrow.”“Hyuck.”“In Joon.”“No.”“Yes.”--Donghyuck gave up on clinging to Mark and clings to Renjun now. Renjun is not interested in cuddling too much but still does it. It’s a given that Mark gets jealous.Meanwhile, Renjun is trying to figure his feelings out, Ten and Hendery have a crush on each other, Xiaojun and Kun lose their minds over everyone, and Chensung/Jichen are unbothered. Mostly.Drama ensues.
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Huang Ren Jun & Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan & Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Series: Markhyuck [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843375
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44





	1. So done

**Author's Note:**

> Hi ^^  
> This is a new fanfiction I started because of writer’s block. At first, I didn’t feel like writing this at all, but it kept coming to my mind, and I couldn’t focus on my other stories at all. I hope it appeals to someone out there 😊  
> And because I don’t like updating ages after I posted a chapter, I decided to finish plotting the whole fanfiction AND writing at least five chapters of it before publishing it.  
> I’ll update every Friday.  
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyuck was so done with Mark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some kudos and a comment ^^ it would mean a lot  
> Stay safe, everyone <3

Donghyuck was so done. He kicked his blanket to the end of the bed.

He felt like screaming.

This wasn't his usual self, and it wasn't the self he particularly liked.

But Mark Lee got the best of him.

He huffed out air, trying to get some of the frustration out of his chest. But with every breath, he felt like he was just breathing it back in.

Mark would never meet him. Just like yesterday, when he wanted to ask Mark whether they could meet, and he gave a lame excuse.

Hyuck~

뭐 해?

(What are you doing?)

Trade_Mark™

지금 공부하고 있어.

(I'm studying now.)

Hyuck~

왜?

(Why?)

Trade_Mark™

Stop bothering me

Hyuck~

Wait, I'll use a translator.

Trade_Mark™

Thank god, Korean is so bothersome.

Hyuck stared at what his translator tool supplied.

하나님 감사합니다, 한국인은 너무 귀찮습니다.

(Thank God, Koreans are so annoying.)

_Koreans... Are annoying?_

Hyuck~

Please meet me.

Trade_Mark™

No, I have to study.

Don't you have to study, too?

Hyuck~

Whatever.

Ungrateful friend.

No friend.

Ungrateful evil person.

Trade_Mark™

I'll be offline now. Bye~

Mark didn't give hugs often. He didn't like to show affection.

And whenever Donghyuck would be affectionate with him, he would end up rejected. It was like Mark was living in a world where Donghyuck couldn't reach him. Perhaps it was because Donghyuck was ever-present in Mark's life, or maybe Mark was just stressed out. You know, the life of a university student.

Either way, something needed to change.

"Mark isn't worthy of my attention," Donghyuck decided. He smirked, a plan forming in the back of his head. "He isn't worthy at all."

™

Renjun turned around in his bunk bed, huffing when the blanket clung around his legs and made it harder for him to turn.

He stopped the TV show to lay down properly. Before he could press the play button, a call came in. It was Donghyuck, whose picture was smiling brightly back at him.

Donghyuck had done that after seeing that there still wasn't a picture set for him.

~

 _'_ _헐_ _? You don't have a picture set for me? Renjun-ah … I'm deeply hurt.'_

_'Put one in when it's that important.'_

_'It is! How are you gonna know it's me when I'm calling you?'_

_Renjun turned and looked at his friend, popping an eyebrow. 'I don't know if you noticed or not, but we're out of kindergarten by now. I can read it.'_

_Donghyuck wordlessly turned his phone for Renjun to see, and… well, ok. That's… unfortunate._

_'How did you put so many hearts in front of your name? It's not gonna show.'_

_Donghyuck chuckled evilly and then leaned back to pose. He showed him the picture. 'Don't I look cool?'_

_'You're so full of yourself.'_

_'Hush, you love me.'_

_He pressed on the screen a couple of times and then handed the phone back to its owner._

_Renjun stared at the photo. 'Well, if you insist- '_

_~_

The truth was, he didn't put in pictures for any of his friends. They put them in themselves.

He picked up the call.

"Don't say you don't have time, Hyung, we've got to meet up today. I really want to see that one movie and Mark said he wouldn't go with me. You're not my second choice, though, and I would have asked you anyway."

Renjun sighed. "Are you done?"

"Yeah, but you're not busy."

"Why are you stressing that? I'm not busy with school stuff, but I'm watching something right now." He knew that Donghyuck would probably keep whining until he gave in. It was always like that. But that did not prevent him from trying.

As expected, Donghyuck began to argue with him. "You can watch that at any time. The movie won't play tomorrow."

"Hyuck."

"In Joon."

"No."

"Yes."

Renjun groaned in despair.

"Come on, I'll let you copy my homework," Hyuck said lucidly.

"I'm better at school than you," Renjun retorted.

"Maths?"

"No."

"Pleaaaase."

He wouldn't give it a rest until he finally gave in. He wanted to watch his show. He frowned. But then again, Hyuck was his friend. And always there for him when he needed a shoulder to cry on. Although he would be mean about him crying later. "Ok", he gave in, "if you don't cling to my side tomorrow."

He could hear Donghyuck saying something possibly offensive under his breath. Then: "Ok."

"Let's go. I'll see you there."

™

Of course, he does cling to his side the next morning.

"Why aren't you annoying someone else?" Renjun asked as they stood in line to get food and Donghyuck, holding his tray and cutlery in each of his hands, was cuddling Renjun. Renjun himself was hyper-focused on Donghyuck's knife and fork, which were dangerously close to his throat.

He took Donghyuck's hand and slowly led it – and the knife – from his neck. "Don't kill me."

"I would never! I need you, remember?" At least he was trying to seem shocked.

"Annoy someone else, will you?"

"I'm not annoying. I'm just affectionate."

"Jaemin is also affectionate. Go cuddle him."

"Jaemin doesn't take half of my courses, remember?"

Renjun let out an aspirated sight. Donghyuck wasn't _that_ bad.

He secretly liked cuddles too, but he was still salty about not being able to watch his TV show yesterday. And he did _not_ want to be stabbed by a knife.

"What's with Mark?" he asked. He hadn't seen him all day, which was weird. Usually, Donghyuck would somehow make Mark come to wherever Donghyuck went. In that sense, they were inseparable.

"He doesn't appreciate me enough," Donghyuck huffed.

Renjun eyed him. "But you guys are best friends. You mean a lot to him."

"Haven't you seen how he shoves me away? I'm fed up."

"He does, but only when you are overly affectionate in public", Renjun argued, staring pointedly at Hyuck's arm that had once again found its way around Renjun's shoulders. Knife-free, thankfully.

The queue in front of them moved forward and, seizing this opportunity, Donghyuck slid in line in front of Renjun and took one of the full plates. "Whatever. Where does your friend sit?"

_Nice change of topics._

Renjun checked his phone. "He says he's sitting at the window on the left side."

Donghyuck rushed to the check-out, Renjun close behind.

"There he is." Renjun strode over to his friend and sat across from him. Donghyuck took the seat next to YangYang.

"Where are the others?" Hyuck wondered. He scanned the cafeteria. "Are they still waiting in line?"

"No school today." The Taiwanese boy had a funny accent in Korean. He could articulate some basic phrases, but since he's only here as an exchange student, he hasn't bothered to learn much.

Renjun picked up his chopsticks. "How was German Literature?"

"It was fine. We looked at something from Kant, but it was kinda weird."

"Weird?"

YangYang shrugged. "Can't say it in Korean."

Renjun and YangYang switched to Chinese, while Donghyuck dug into his food.

"How do you say, 'It was delicious' in German?", Renjun asked. Hyuck snorted.

"Such a nerd," he said. Renjun sent him a sharp glare.

"' Es war sehr lecker'," YangYang replied, blushing a bit. "I don't really know why you want to know that, though."

"Just like that. It came to my mind."

Renjun finished his food and waited for the others to finish. Together, they brought their trays away.

"Then, I'll leave you guys to it," YangYang said. "My next period is in another building."

They parted at the door, and Renjun opened it for Donghyuck.

"Such a gentleman."

"Shut up."

Donghyuck grinned.

"What's that about wanting to learn German? Any other motivation behind that?"

Renjun rolled his eyes. "Not everyone is as in love with their best friend as you are."

Hyuck's grin faded. "I'm not in love."

Renjun saw his friend's troubled expression and immediately rowed back. "Hey, it was just a joke. I didn't mean it."

"Don't make jokes like that. It's not cool. Next time I'll make a joke about Jeno and Jaemin like this, and you can be sure that you won't like it."

 _I don't think I will_.

"But I truly didn't mean it. Let's just get to class."

There was an uncomfortable feeling in his guts. As they went down the hallway, they didn't speak a word, both deep in thought.

* * *

I know Haechan has an iPhone, but I figured he probably could have a different Phone in an Alternative Universe 😊 I also thought the Green at the top would be more recognisable for you guys since iPhones don't have that.

Since I drew the pictures myself, I changed some of WhatsApp's Layout (You'll notice there are no checkmarks, etc.). It's not supposed to look impressive or be correct ^^ I just wanted to practice and show you guys what Haechan's phone looks like in this story :) The focus is on Mark's name and the background picture. I hope it works; I couldn't see the images when I put it to preview. If it doesn't work, you still have the text messages. They are an essential part.

**Some footnotes:**

Haechan = Donghyuck, Hyuck

I decided not to use his stage name since this is an alternative universe in which they aren't famous. Perhaps I'll use it later on, but for now, keep in mind that Haechan will be called Donghyuck or Hyuck.

"헐 "can mean "huh? ", showing surprise, or that one is at a loss of words.

I'm not fluent in Korean, so if you are and see that I made a mistake, please tell me ^^ I'll correct it.


	2. Jaemi, Kkuljaem and Nojaem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renjun is annoyed by Hyuck, meanwhile fighting his crushes on his two best friends and in result hangs around YangYang too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you guys think of the story so far and leave a kudo if you liked it! It would mean a lot to me ^^
> 
> The chapters come a day early because I won't have time to update tomorrow.

It's been several weeks, and Donghyuck hasn't left Renjun any personal space.

He sits with Jaemin, Jeno and Renjun at lunch will even follow him to the next period that he doesn't take and will drive the train with him back home on every single day.

On the weekends, he would ring him up and ask him to go somewhere; to the cinema, to take their hoverboards to the Park, go to a new Café, walk up Han River, go Jogging, play a game at the arcade, even go to the museum (!) and go swimming.

Renjun never was this tired in the evening. When he carefully explained that he had to study, Hyuck would be all too excited to go to the library with him.' _What? At Home? Well, then let me come over, or you come to mine, it's all the same to me.'_

_How was Mark doing it…? Had Hyuck ever bothered Mark this much? No way._

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he has a crush on you," Jaemin unhelpfully supplied during lunch on a Friday when Donghyuck was in the bathroom and Renjun still deep in thought.

"He doesn't. We all know he's head over heels for Mark," he argued.

"And if he's knees over feet for him, his fixation on you is getting out of hand," Jeno said grimly.

_Was that … a hint of jealousy in his voice?_

_Don't get your hopes up Huang Renjun; it's probably nothing. Jeno is just worried._

"Have you ever seen him like this with Mark?" Renjun asked, voicing the thought he's had for a few days already.

They just silently shake their heads. "That's what doesn't add up," Jeno said.

"Maybe he has a plan," Jaemin suggested.

"You would know all about plans, wouldn't you?" Renjun nodded at Jaemin, who smirked playfully.

"Plans? What plans?"

Renjun never flinched this hard in his entire life.

Donghyuck took his seat right next to Renjun.

The three of them sent each other glances. Renjun slowly said: "Uh, … you know-" he feverishly searched for a good excuse, "-Jisung's birthday."

"Ah," Hyuck nodded in understanding and clapped his chopsticks together twice. _I hope no one tells him how funny that looks so he will do it again, "_ I can help with that. What are you guys planning?"

"We haven't yet, we've just mentioned that we need a plan."

"Well," Donghyuck said and stretched his fingers, so the bones cracked, "here you have yourself a master-mind when it comes to plans."

He eyed Jaemin, adding. "Jaemin can be my Second-in-command."

"Hyuck, we're not 12 anymore."

"Who cares? Do you want to be a grown-up? Come on, live while you're young and have a bit of fun. You're way too serious anyway."

Renjun shrugged. Well, he wasn't wrong. He felt like he was the least fun out of all of them. Even though Jeno was the one with the telling nickname, Renjun was the one who acted mature most of the time. But he was the oldest, after all. YangYang was also younger than him.

Well, he was the oldest after Mark and the ones born before the year 2000. But they didn't hang around with them that much.

"But Jisung's birthday is only in February, right? Why would you talk about this now? It's merely December."

"It just came up like that. And holidays are coming soon, so we better do this before everyone is at their parent's."

"Right," Hyuck nodded. "Good foresight, you guys. Let's figure something out together."

"I'll make a group chat," Jaemin said. All their phones gave the messaging sound.

Na Na >-<

Let's have Jisung-ah a lovely party!

Any ideas?

In Joon With An RRRRRR

Why did YangYang change my username… I forgot to change it back ☹

Hyuck~

Did he? Was I right for once?

Na Na >-<

About what? What are you not telling us Injunnie?

_In Joon With AN RRRRRR_ changed to _All Shoulders Hide_

Na Na >-<

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ good one, Hyuck

_All Shoulders Hide_ changed to _Injeolmi yum yum (^_ _￢_ _^)_

JENOOOJAEM

You guys are mean. And why are we texting? We're sitting RIGHT NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER.

Hyuck~

You could've just said that. And don't scream in the chat, that's why your name is like that.

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

Please leave my username alone…

™

YangYang threw the bag of crisps at him.

"What was that for?"

YangYang shrugged, sat down next to him, popped the bag open while it's still in Renjun's hands, and dug in.

Mouth full of crisps, he said: "You weren't listening."

"Sorry, what did your highness say?"

"Do you know what you're gonna do at Christmas? I heard your parents live in China, and you are not going back there. What's up with that?"

"Uh, yeah, about that …" Renjun shrugs. "My parents want me to come back, and money is not really the issue … I just don't feel like going back this year, that's all. I have a lot of work to finish."

"Don't tell me you're going to work on assignments on Christmas Eve."

"Uh…"

"No. No way. How about that, we both just spend the day together. Then you have some time away from Dongyuck-"

"-Hyuck will be with his family anyway-"

"-and we can have a nice day together! Plus, I'll only be here this semester, I'll be gone soon."

This thought made Renjun incredibly sad. They had met at the start of the 3rd Semester when YangYang stood in the middle of the hallway looking rather lost, and Renjun being Renjun, bumped right into him. Yes, it's a cliché.

"Stop, will you? You'll make me cry."

YangYang grinned and stuffed more crisps into his mouth. "Well, at least I know you'll miss me as much as I'll miss you."

He became serious for once. There was a subtle change in his mouth becoming a straight line, and his eyes turning stern. YangYang's face appeared completely different. Dark, even.

Renjun guessed that it was since the boy was normally so full of energy and joy, a serious face changed the whole atmosphere around him.

"I know you already have two best friends, and I don't ask anything of you," YangYang said. "But ever since I've come here, I felt that you were my best friend. Sure, I'm also close to Ten and the others, but they are different. Kun behaves like he's my parent and Ten always babies me. Dejun plays some games with me but not much more apart from being roommates, and then there's Hendery, but he's busy with impressing Ten 24/7."

Renjun swallowed. YangYang was going full in.

"Anyway, I just want to thank you. For being my friend."

"You're very welcome," Renjun smiled. "You, too, you know. Thank you."

YangYang laughed, a little nervously. "Will you perhaps explain to me why Donghyuck is so clingy with you? I don't really understand much when you guys talk, and since we're alone right now and can speak Chinese freely …" He let his sentence hang in the air.

"Sure. I think it's to make Mark jealous. At first, I was annoyed with him, you know. Then I was worried he might like me, but that's impossible. Anyway, now I have a theory. I think it's very plausible."

"So, your theory is that Donghyuck tries to make Mark jealous by spending as much time with you as possible and paying no attention to Mark? Did Mark do anything about it?"

Renjun shrugged. "Now that you say that, no. Mark hangs around with the older kids when he's not around us, and since Donghyuck doesn't make him show up anymore, he doesn't. I'm worried at this point. You know, they need each other."

"Don't you have… like, classes together?"

"Mark's a '99. He's a year older and has totally different courses from us. Hyuck and Mark know each other since middle school; us others just came into the picture later. Well, except for Jisungie, he's been somewhat of a protégé to the two since he was a 3rd grader."

"Wow. You guys have such strong friendships. I must say I'm kinda jealous."

Renjun chuckled. "Yeah, well, I remember when I first joined the group, Jaemin told me Donghyuck used to be jealous of him because Mark thought Jaemin was super cool."

YangYang smiled and nodded, but his thoughts seemed to be somewhere else. "I'm not sure, but do you think Mark could distance himself as much from Donghyuck as Donghyuck is distancing himself from Mark? You know what I mean, right? This "plan" of his could destroy their friendship."

Renjun thought about that for a moment. "I know where you're coming from, but it's impossible to have Mark and Donghyuck NOT be friends. That's just … no."

"You are throwing a surprise party for Jisung or something, right?"

Renjun nodded.

"Do you think you guys can make Mark and Donghyuck confront each other there?"

Renjun blinked. "That's in like, three months."

"And Mark doesn't try to approach Donghyuck … damn."

"Well, he's somehow always super busy."

YangYang shook his head.

He handed Renjun the controller. "Your friends have to sort this out. I want to spend time with you without Donghyuck calling you or coming over. Which is fine, he's pretty cool. I'm referring to how frequently he does it. However, for today, I'll destroy you in Mario Kart."

"Uh-uh, I think your Mandarin is a bit off here. You mean you will be destroyed by me!"

™

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

Yo new chat guys

JENOOOJAEM

"Operation Markhyuck"? You have a shipping name for them already???

Na Na >-<

I'm impressed.

What operation, though? Spit it out

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

Yes, calm down, I'm typing.

So, YangYang had the best idea ever.

JENOOOJAEM

YangYang? Again?

Na Na >-<

Yeah, do we have to get jealous? Defend our statuses as your best friends? (what wait what's the plural of status)

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

Not important right now, Jaemin.

Anyway, YangYang thought we could have Mark and Haechan confront each other on Jisung's birthday.

Na Na >-<

Then put Chenle in here, so he's in with us!

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

He'd end up telling Jisung-ah about the party, and you know it

Na Na >-<

No :(((That's why we need your big brain Renjun-ah~

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

*sigh* you're a lost cause without me

JENOOOJAEM

Guys stop flirting in front of me. I feel left out

Na Na >-<

Awww, Jeno is jealous~

We need you, too <3

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

This is why everyone thinks we're together.

JENOOOJEAM

Who is 노잼 now, huh?

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

That's what we have 재민 for; he's always 꿀잼

Na Na >-<

ㅋㅋ Injunnie your jokes are getting better, but you're still lacking

And that was some quality flirting, 꿀~

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

JENOOOJAEM

Fine, I'll keep my nickname.

But don't always flirt, I'm still single and alone ☹

Na Na >-<

Naaah, we're just joking. Anyway I need to go now

JENOOOJAEM

Bye~

Injeolmi yum yum (^￢^)

See you tomorrow

* * *

**Footnotes:**

"All Shoulders Hide" refers to Renjun's nickname "Shoulder Gangster". Another nickname is "Injeolmi", that is a Korean rice cake.

They were texting in an app where you can edit usernames, that's why Renjun's username could be edited ^^

**The Korean:**

노잼 (nojaem) = no fun

꿀잼 (kkuljaem) = something extremely funny.

잼 (jaem) is the slang word for 재미 (jaemi), which means fun in Korean. 꿀 means honey.

"Jaem, Jaemi, Na Jaemin" - Jeno

If you know, you know XD

Dejun = Xiaojun (his real name)

Ten is still Ten because Thai people have nicknames anyway (Pray for any Thai moderator XD)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUN FACT TIME:
> 
> Haechan’s name in the app is “Hyuck~” just like before because Mark changed it to that once. Haechan never changed it back, and no one else dares to. In the first chapter, the chat shows how they both have the other person saved in their phones ^^ maybe that gives some of you hope 😊 I’m so sorry there’s not much actual Markhyuck in here yet but hang on!
> 
> Since I can’t help it, here’s another fun fact:  
> The name of Bangkok (a capital city of Thailand) is the longest Thai word:  
> กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุทธยา มหาดิลกภพ นพรัตนราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์  
> (Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit), which means:  
> “The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.”  
> I needed to google this because I couldn't remember it :D (Here’s the source for the curious: https://blogs.transparent.com/thai/bangkok-longest-name-ever/)  
> I feel like we need to applaud whoever had the idea for that name. First, remember it before writing it down. Second, we need to step up our game when naming cities XD  
> Thai people don’t say all of that above, and it took some time before the name got like that. But they just call it “Krung Thep” for ease ^-^


	3. Chinese fellas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renjun tries to find a solution for Hyuck, Yukhei is his normal self, Winwin doesn’t care and Chenle has a crush on Jisung.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,  
> I hope you guys are well ^^ Enjoy the chapter and feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you think :)

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

You guys won’t believe it

Little Sheep x2

What -- wait, this group chat slipped my attention, who is everyone?

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

OK, a quick introduction

Hey, I’m Lucas

I’m Yukhei, but you can call me Lucas. From Hong Kong.

You Loselose, I Winwin

I still don’t like my name here. Would someone change it?

I’m Sicheng, but for some reason, my friends call me Winwin

From China, I dance

Chenle

Hi, I’m Chenle. Chinese and Jisung’s friend

Sports major

You Loselose, I Winwin

Chenle is still a kid

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Ok, now you know them.

Guys, you missed so much, why did you graduate?

And Yukhei, where are you these days?

Chenle

Graduate?

Hey, I’m Lucas

Hanging with Mark. He’s here so much, and so lonely

Hyuck abandoned him.

Little Sheep x2

Wait, you know

Like, you know about Hyuck and Mark

What do you call them Renjun?

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

I call them Markhyuck

You Loselose, I Winwin

You ship them

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Guys, Hyuck abandoned Mark and came to me.

He’s so clingy, I can barely breathe

You Loselose, I Winwin

Not my problem

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

It’s decided; Winwin needs to stay away from Johnny

Little Sheep x2

Who’s Johnny?

I don’t know anyone

Wait I didn’t introduce myself

Hi, I’m Yang Yang, my nickname is Xiao Yang. Taiwanese.

Hey, I’m Lucas

Oh, that’s why you have that username

Little Sheep x2

Yep, Ten felt like he was funny

Chenle

Wait, so Markhyuck aren’t meeting at all?

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Nope

Chenle

☹

And why is my name so boring

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

You only installed the app Lele

You need to change it

_Chenle_ changed to _President Zhong_

Little Sheep x2

President?

President Zhong

Thanks

Oh, yeah, my family has money and they all say I’ll buy the University one day or whatever

You Loselose, I Winwin

Why didn’t you change my name ☹

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

I’m still thinking.

Little Sheep x2

I have an idea

_You Loselose, I Winwin_ changed to _Winwin~_

President Zhong

That looks super boring now

Winwin~

I like it, it’s not too long and weird

Little Sheep x2

:D

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Ok, so … you guys

We should all make them get back to their usual selves!

Hey, I’m Lucas

I’m against too much manipulation.

They have to figure it out

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Kun-ge, don’t steal Yukhei’s phone, just download the app yourself

Winwin~

I don’t know if that was an insult or not

You noticed that it wasn’t Lucas way too fast

Hey, I’m Lucas

No Renjun, I don’t want to do that

Little Sheep x2

Hi Mom

Hey, I’m Lucas

Clean your room

Little Sheep x2

My half of the room is clean, tell that Dejun

Hey, I’m Lucas

You’re on Dejun’s side right now.

Little Sheep x2

Moms just know things, it’s like a superpower

Like, they know when you’re asleep and when you’re faking

Winwin~

I don’t really care much about the kid’s room, but my phone keeps buzzing.

So, either we find a solution, or do this in your private chats.

Hey, I’m Lucas

I’ll download that app, Lucas is trying to get his phone back

_Qian Kun_ added to “Chinese fellas”

Qian Kun

I won’t comment on that group name

Winwin~

Your name is worse than my old one

_Qian Kun_ changed to _Mama Kun_

Mama Kun

-.-

Why do I have kids

Winwin~

Your choice

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Can we settle on what to do about our friends?

Hey, I’m Lucas

My username isn’t lying anymore

Little Sheep x2

Welcome back

[IMAGE]

Look, mom. The room is clean!

Mama Kun

I’m proud

But shouldn’t I be “Dad”?

Hey, I’m Lucas

No

Winwin~

Nope

Little Sheep x2

Mom is better!

President Zhong

I have a dad already

But I have a Mom, too

Huh, I guess I have two moms now

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

I think Mom is better, too

Mama Kun

Why am I even here

Winwin~

Just to suffer

Little Sheep x2

Bahahaha XD He’s around this Johnny a lot

Winwin~

Yes, he is

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Are we ever gonna talk about Markhyuck?

President Zhong

Conclusion: none of us knows what to do

Winwin~

Conclusion approved

Little Sheep x2

Get them in the same space, I say

Hey, I’m Lucas

I could do that

Say I want something from Renjun

Or from Nana

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

Or from the both of us

Hey, I’m Lucas

But what exactly do I want from you?

Mama Kun

Something you can’t do over the phone

Winwin~

Confess?

Hey, I’m Lucas

Winwin, no.

President Zhong

Um, about confessions

What do you do about crushes that don’t go away?

Winwin~

I think you broke Mama Kun

He won’t move, he’s just staring at the phone

Hey, I’m Lucas

Is it Jisung

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

It’s Jisung, right?

President Zhong

I’m easy to read, aren't I?

Hey, I’m Lucas

You only have one best friend

Btw, Renjun, what about you?

Injeolmi yum yum(^￢^)

What

Little Sheep x2

Let’s focus

Mr President, just confess

And Lucas, say you want to ask the others about meeting up or something

And you want to do it in person because you haven't seen them for some time

Hey, I’m Lucas

OK, I’ll do that

And you and I need to hang sometime

Little Sheep x2

Sure thing

Bye guys

Hey, I'm Lucas

Bye


	4. Past weeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark doesn’t understand Hyuck anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is written in Mark's view.  
> Thanks for reading and enjoy!  
> Feel free to leave a comment ^^ I'd be happy to read your thoughts on the work :)

Mark kicked a stone. It slid on the asphalt road and pumped into the sidewalk.

"What did that stone ever do to you?" Lucas asked, feigning disappointment.

His English was adequate and way better than both their Korean skills. Whenever the two were alone, which was 70 per cent of the time in the past few weeks, they spoke English. Lucas said it improved his skills.

Mark pointedly ignored Lucas' comment and kept walking. His thoughts were going wild in his head. _What does he want from Renjun? Why Renjun?_

He got to another stone and kept kicking it until he accidentally kicked it into the grass by the road.

He looked at the spot for a second, then turned to Lucas, who was walking a few steps behind him. His long legs made it all too easy for him to keep up with Mark's pace.

"What do you want from Renjun?"

"Renjun and Jaemin," Lucas corrected.

"We both know that you're way closer to Renjun, so what is it about?"

Lucas shrugged. "You know, meeting up and so on. I kind of miss the younger ones, and I don't know if I'm going to stay in Korea for another year, yet."

Mark eyed his friend. He seemed to have given this a lot of thought.

Lucas was next to him now, having sped up a little to catch up. He casually put his arm around Mark's shoulders.

Somewhat guardedly, he asked: "And you and Donghyuck … still no talking?"

Mark kicked another stone. "I am talking to him. I text, I call … he's always like 'Oh, Hyung, I'm sorry. I'm doing something with Renjun today.'"

"Uh, sucks."

"Yeah!" Mark was thriving now, stepping out of Lucas' touch and turning fully to his friend. "He doesn't even ask me if I wanna hang with Renjun and him, as three. You know, since we're all friends."

Lucas sighed. "You asked him already?"

Mark nodded. "It's so frustrating, you know? I ask him, and all I can hear is Renjun's name. It didn't use to be like that."

Lucas didn't say anything. Silence fell heavily on them. A car approached, and they got on the pavement.

"Let's just get going."

They kept walking. Mark could see the Cafeteria by now; the building stood in the middle of the campus. It was a somewhat ugly building, big and chunky, sharp edges and painted in a cheerless, faded red.

He remembered how Hyuck had dragged him there on the daily. But the last time he had done, that was already a month ago.

Suddenly, Lucas's hand landed on Mark's shoulder and made him turn around. He gripped both of his shoulders. Mark stared at him in bewilderment, at the determined look on his face.

"See, if I hang with Renjun, that's only good for you!"

"Huh?"

"If I hang with Renjun, you can easily ask Hyuck to hang with you!"

Still irritated, Mark nodded. "That would be great."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Lucas smiled brightly and let go of Mark's shoulders. He walked ahead, a skip in his step.

Mark couldn't help but smile. _What made you care so much, Lucas?_

™

Entering the Cafeteria wiped the smile right off his face.

Like every day, it was stuffed with students. But especially one group of students caught Mark's eye.

Renjun stood in line, Jaemin next to him and seemingly unbothered by the arms around Renjun's neck and the body that was pressing into his side.

Hyuck had left no space between Renjun and himself.

Mark averted his eyes. His instincts told him to flee the scene, just turn around and leave Luas to ask Renjun and Jaemin himself.

But their plan from earlier didn't let him. Hyuck would ask Lucas to come with them, and they wouldn't refuse.

Lucas spotted their friends, nudging Mark and shouting over the noise of the Cafeteria: "仁俊，我们到了!" (Renjun, wǒmen dào liǎo!)

"Hey Lucas ", Renjun waved. "And Mark!" he beamed.

Mark saw how Renjun (not so discreetly) removed Hyuck's arms around him, and a feeling of victory settled within.

_Renjun is probably annoyed. Perhaps …_

He didn't let his thoughts continue. Instead, he got in line behind his friends and leaned over to Donghyuck. "Long time no see", he said.

Hyuck smiled and nodded. "Sorry for being busy lately. I really hung out with Renjun a lot."

And that was that no explanation, no "It's nice seeing you again after I ditched you for a month".

Mark felt wronged. He wanted Hyuck to apologize more fiercely, somehow show him that he was really, genuinely sorry. But that was stupid, Hyuck was his own person. It's not like Mark always had time for him. He could hang out with other people.

And yet, it felt wrong to him.

Hyuck didn't reach out to him, didn't try to hug him. Instead, he kept hanging on to Renjun and Renjun only.

Mark felt sick by the time they sat down on the round table, and he ended up between Lucas and Jaemin, the other two perfectly in his view. Hyuck's arm was right next to Renjun's.

"So, the reason I came here is that I wanted to ask you if you wanted to hang," Lucas said and pointed to Renjun. "Actually, Jaemin as well."

Donghyuck looked up. He opened his mouth, but Mark saw his chance and cut in. He trained his eyes on his plate. If he looked at him, he'd surely lose his courage. "Hyuck, I really want to hang out with you."

In fear that Haechan wouldn't agree, Mark kept talking, and felt himself spinning a lie: "Originally, Lucas asked me too and wanted you to tag along, but we haven't seen each other alone for so long." The words rolled smoothly off his tongue.

"I miss hanging out, and I don't care what we're going to be doing, you choose. We could watch a movie or play a game. Anything."

He knew he was rambling by now and probably sounded desperate. He looked up, and three confused pairs of eyes were on him.

Hyuck cleared his throat. "Sure, but we're planning Jisung's birthday right now and … I know it's in February, but we wanna make it big. The lad is turning 18. You know you're only 18 once."

Mark nodded. So, he was less important. Again.

"You can help with the preparations, you know. I didn't want to bug you with it because I thought you were busy."

Regret and guilt rushed through his veins, a sinking feeling that made it a bit difficult to breathe. _And you thought he hadn't been considerate of you. Damn, Mark Lee, not everything is about you._

"Oh, no. I- I mean it's a bit stressful, but I can still make time for you."

Hyuck smiled at him. "I'll add you to our group chat, and then you can help us gather ideas and participate better."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw how Renjun, Jaemin and Lucas exchanged a glance.

~

**Three weeks ago**

****

****

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_Hi, do you fancy hanging out today?_

_Hyuck~_

_Hi_

_No sry I'm seeing Renjun today_

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_Oh, ok_

_Have fun_

_Hyuck~_

_Thanks, we will_

_:D_

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_What are you doing?_

_Hyuck~_

_Watch sth_

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_Ok_

**Two weeks ago**

****

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_Are you hanging with Renjun again?_

_Hyuck~_

_Yeah, we're studying in the library_

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_You? At the library?_

_Hyuck~_

_Yeah, Renjun says I'm too loud at home_

_He can't concentrate_

_Trade_Mark_ ™

_Study well_

**One week and five days ago**

_Trade_Mark_ _™_

_Have you eaten?_

_Hyuck~_

_I'm having sth with Renjun rn_

_Trade_Mark_ _™_

_Eat well~_

_Hyuck~_

_[IMAGE]_

_It's delicious_

_Trade_Mark_ _™_

_Don't make me jealous_

_Hyuck~_

_XD As if I could_

**One week ago**

_Trade_Mark_ _™_

_Wanna hang out?_

_Hyuck?_

**6 days ago**

_Hyuck~_

_Oh sry, I forgot my phone at Renjun's place_

_Trade_Mark_ _™_

_oh, ok_

_Hyuck~_

_Maybe some other time_

~

Mark had spent a lot of time looking at the differences between their old chat and their "new" one. The messages he received were shorter. Less detailed.

And the most important thing: He was the one reaching out every single time.

Was Renjun calling Hyuck to meet?

Or was Hyuck reaching out to Renjun repeatedly?

"Put me in the group. I'd like to plan that party with you guys."

"Ok, I will."

™

Mark was deep in thought when he and Lucas walked to the bus station. "Lucas," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Renjun and Hyuck … seemed close today."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, Hyuck was totally affectionate."

"Well, they do spend a lot of time together, that is bound to show."

Mark nodded. "Still … do you think that maybe," he felt his mouth dry up and swallowed to moisten it, "that maybe they are a thing?"

Lucas stopped in his tracks. "Like dating?"

"Yeah."

Lucas laughed, loud and full. "Trust me, no way. They are so not together."

"Really?" he asked, relieved.

"Yes. I think there's a higher chance that there's something between Renjun and Jaemin than between Renjun and Hyuck."

"What makes you think that?"

"They have a different vibe." Lucas grinned playfully. "Trust me; I'm in the know."

Mark laughed out loud. "You're 'in the know'?"

"Hell yeah!"

They spend the rest of their way laughing.

Only when Mark was back in his dorm, he thought about Hyuck's behaviour again.

 _I didn't ask if Hyuck has feelings for Renjun._ , was the toxic thought in his mind.

* * *

**Footnote**

“仁俊，我们到了!” (Renjun, wǒmen dào liǎo!) = Renjun, we're here!

Jisung turns 18 because I wanted to make the argument that they would throw a big party stronger. He's still 18 in the fic. I drew the pictures in the first chapter before I decided this fact ^^

For reference, _NCT Dream_ members' ages in the fanfiction as of this chapter (The year 2019, parallel Universe)

Mark - 20 (5th semester)

Renjun - 19 (3rd semester)

Jeno - 19 (3rd semester)

Haechan - 19 (3rd semester)

Jaemin - 19 (3rd semester)

[extra info: some 3rd semesters share courses: Renjun, Haechan, Jaemin]

YangYang - 19 (3rd semester; extra info: potentially studies German (Literature))

Chenle - 18 (1st semester; extra info: sports major)

Jisung - 17 (1st semester)

I gave some additional info for reference for me. I thought I'd include it here :)

About the pictures: I actually started to draw all of them, but at some point, I got lazy XD That's why there are only "Screenshots" until **Two Weeks Ago**. I hope you understand ^^

Their primary function is to give you an idea about Mark's and Hyuck's phones, and I hope that was achieved. Hyuck's profile picture shows him and Renjun btw :)


	5. A Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is only a birthday party. For real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ^^ I’m really sorry this chapter arrives a day late. I was so busy this week that I forgot to edit it. There were a lot of mistakes created when writing it and things I still wanted to change.  
> So, this is the edited Chapter.
> 
> As a little present, here’s a song to listen to when you read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjnH6GKgmsM; if you have Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7pnBMz4MiFIwFXSa4nSJcJ?si=H0KzkC8LR1aAxZK8x3p-7Q  
> You can put it on repeat, or just leave it on autoplay ^^ You could also go to “song radio” on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E8TsuYgGaPk1A?si=A7b8AOY3QaS149VC0sMoPg) I think these songs mostly fit the chapter but it depends on your reading speed. I guess it's more fitting for the whole fanfiction, so you could just put this on when you read it.
> 
> Feel free to leave comments and a kudo 😊  
> I hope you have a nice weekend, stay healthy <3
> 
> \----
> 
> Edit: The 6th chapter will take a bit longer. I have exams soon and cannot guarantee that I will update as regularly as before. I'll try to update this weekend. My apologies to everyone waiting for the next chapter.

It was finally February.

In the past weeks, the group chat had been rather busy, planning the party, making a "happy birthday" poster because Hyuck wouldn't have a bought one, getting the cake (so Jaemin could eat it, too), finding the right sort of crisps, and more.

In the end, all that was left was "the plan", and finding the right location.

"We can party at my place", Chenle said. "My parents will be on a business trip."

They all knew very well why Chenle was giving his place up as the location. However, they all argued heavily against it. What if a vase fell? It would be at least a hundred bucks worth.

In the end, they settled for Hyuck's place. They wanted to make sure that Jisung didn't know about the party, and this was the place he was the least at.

They hung the poster up on the door to the living room, Hyuck and Jaemin on the ladders, while Renjun and Mark were holding them.

"A little more to the right!" Chenle exclaimed, and Jeno agreed with "A little more, a little more – Stop!"

"Is it really in the middle?" Hyuck asked, panting heavily, with his arms stretched far to keep the poster up.

"Yes, it is."

"Ok, hand me the tape, Mark."

Mark handed it to him and watched with worried eyes as Hyuck balanced himself on the ladder, trying to position the tape.

"How about we reposition your ladder first," Mark said.

Hyuck was stubborn for a second but then agreed with a sigh. He let go of the banner, and Jaemin slammed his hand to the middle of it, so his side didn't become crooked. The poster obediently folded, unfortunately right into Jaemin, who let out a small yell, but didn't let go of it.

Hyuck stepped down the stairs and helped Mark heave the ladder directly under the banner.

"Hurry," Jaemin whined, fingers trembling on the paper. He, too, had to stretch himself. Luckily, his ladder was positioned a bit closer to the desired place of the poster, so he didn't have to reach as far as Hyuck had.

Hyuck stepped on the ladder again. "Give Jaemin the tape first. Jaemin stretched his hand out to make it easier for Hyuck to take the other end of the poster.

"Ok, you need to reposition it again, though," Jeno apologetically said.

They groaned in despair.

When the poster was finally in the right place, they only had 2 hours left before everyone would be arriving. Chenle would need to pick him up, which would take around one hour in total.

"Let's assign some tasks. Hyuck, Renjun, Chenle, you make the balloons. The rest puts the plates on the table, gets the food out, makes sure the cake is ready and will be kept from Jisung's eyes until later. I will connect my phone to the speakers, so we can play the music we wanted to play," Mark said.

Everyone agreed.

™

Renjun knotted two balloons together. At this point, the house looked rather festive. There were garlands and balloons everywhere, music speakers strategically positioned, all fragile items removed, and food on the table.

Hyuck's mom stuck her head in from the kitchen.

"I'll be guarding the cake for now. In half an hour, my husband will pick me up, and we'll be in the cinema until late. I hope you guys will have finished your party when we're back. That would be around 1 am, at the latest."

"Yes, mum," Hyuck said and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks."

She messed up his hair affectionately.

Renjun sighed as he stuck the balloons to the wall.

"What do you look this gloomy for?" Jaemin asked, a couple of cokes in his arms.

"Just thought about home," he smiled. He didn't want Jaemin to feel bad for him. He was ok with being in Korea, and he had a regular phone- and video calls with his parents.

"Right, you didn't go back to them in the holidays." Jaemin frowned. "Then, how did you spend Christmas?"

Renjun looked at his hands. "Um …"

"Wait, don't tell me you worked over Christmas."

Renjun laughed out loud. "That's so funny, last November, YangYang said something similar."

"YangYang? That Taiwanese boy you hung around with a lot?"

Renjun nodded. "Yeah, he actually forced me to spend the break with him."

Grinning, Jaemin put the coke down. Well, 3 litres do get a bit heavy when you're holding them for too long. "He seems cool. How long will he stay?"

Renjun sighed, becoming a little bit sadder. "He's back in China now. He really wanted to stay, but … you know, the Visa. He had to go back. He said he'd visit in the summer break, though."

Jaemin nodded thoughtfully.

"Was it fun with him? You know, the break?" A grimace spread over his features, "I'm sorry I didn't ask you to hang out."

"No, it's fine, you were with your family. And yes, we had a great day. We ended up playing Mario Kart …"

~

_"Foul! That's a foul Huang Renjun!"_

_"In war, everything is allowed!"_

_YangYang's Yoshi crashed into the barrier, while Renjun's Mario passed the car, motor howling._

_Renjun collected an item – Triple Mushroom!_

_He curved around the Chain Chomp and made it to the rainbow roads, into the goal._

_"You cheated," YangYang insisted, but his tone was light._

_"I still won," Renjun replied._

_"That calls for revenge."_

_Just as they were going to get ready to play again, a call came in._

_"Oh, it's my parents. I'll talk to them first, ok?"_

_"Sure, go ahead. I'll choose the road."_

_His mom greeted him when he answered the phone._

Hi sweety, it's so good to hear your voice. Are you very busy? I hope you're treating yourself today.

_"Yes, mum, I am, don't worry. I'm with a friend today."_

Oh, really? With his family?

_"No, he's an exchange student."_

Ah. Well, that's lovely, my dear.

_There were noises in the background._

你爸* said he wishes you a very happy holiday.

_"Tell him thanks."_

From me, too, love.

_"Thank you, mum. I hope you have a nice day with the family._

We will. Have fun with your friend. I'm afraid your present is still on its way; I haven't received an email yet that it arrived.

_"It will, mum. Don't worry about it. When it's here, I'll send you a picture."_

That would be nice. Talk to you soon. I miss you.

_"I miss you, too, mum. Bye-bye."_

Bye-bye.

_She hung up._

_"So, have you found which one you want to play next?"_

_"Yes. But after that, it's time for a movie. And let's exchange presents afterwards."_

_"Ok", Renjun laughed._

~

Renjun turned the pendant in his hands. Its string was orange like the sundown, and the pendant itself was a silver '仁俊 '. *

"It's quite pretty," Jaemin said. They had sat down at some point of the narration.

"Yes. It's a small present, but I'm happy. I hope I won't lose it; pendants seem to get lost a lot. But YangYang said, if I lose it, he'll just give me another one and that I shouldn't worry too much," Renjun laughed.

"He's nice." Jaemin's voice had a tone of resentment.

"Hey, you're still my best friend. And Jeno, too. YangYang can't replace you guys."

Jaemin nudged him. "You know when I'm jealous, don't you?" He took the pendant. Renjun let him. "I think he's a really good friend to you. It's just …" He stroked the Chinese letters with his thumb.

"I don't know, listening to your story about how he spent Christmas with you and … him leaving, it's." Jaemin stopped, frowning thoughtfully.

"I suddenly thought about how you only came here when we were 14 and how you are going to leave one day. You came here for singing, and for your education. But I know, and I'm sure you do, too, that you didn't come here to stay."

Renjun swallowed heavily. Jaemin was right. And it was very, very unusual for him to act this serious. Frequently, there was always a smirk on his face, a witty remark to be made.

"That's the reason you stayed this Christmas, wasn't it? This is our 4th semester already. You won't be doing your master degree in Korea. You'll do it in China."

Renjun felt utterly guilty. He hadn't wanted to talk about this with any of his friends. The thought of leaving Korea was sickening to him, but never returning home seemed even more unbearable.

"I didn't think about it yet. I- I just didn't want to go back. But I guess you're right. My parents and I already talked about that once."

Jaemin nodded. He suddenly stood up and let the pendant fall back into Renjun's hands. Confused, Renjun looked up at him. But Jaemin didn't look into his eyes.

Renjun followed his gaze and saw Jeno, mouth hanging open a bit, at the other end of the room.

"You're leaving?"

Renjun felt a pang in his chest. "It's not decided, Jeno."

Jeno shook his head and stepped toward them. "No matter what decision you make, we'll stay friends for sure."

Renjun nodded relieved.

"Guys! Come on, Jisung will be here any minute, let's hide!"

™

When they entered the living room, the others were already there, already in their positions.

Kun waved at Renjun. Looking around, he could see Mark and Lucas huddled together behind a chair, Ten and Johnny behind the couch. There were more people – was that Winwin? – but Renjun was dragged behind the table by Jaemin so that he couldn't see.

The door opened.

"Happy birthday!" everyone shouted. They popped the streamers, and someone turned on the lights.

Jisung said his thanks, bowing slightly, bright red in the face. He stared at the poster, which read: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JISUNG" and was soon showered with hugs.

Now Renjun could finally see who was there, and, right, he knew who they invited, but everyone – literally, everyone, had come.

Twenty people in one room.

"How will we make sure Mark and Hyuck actually talk with one another properly?", he asked himself.

Today, Hyuck had clung to him a lot less, but Renjun blamed it on the busy planning that was their party.

They took some photos, and then Johnny vanished into the kitchen to get the cake.

They all sang happy birthday for a very happy Jisung and watched him blow out the candles.

Everyone clapped.

It would seem the main goal had been achieved already.

However, this was only the beginning.

™

Hyuck talked to many people that night. Apart from wishing Jisung a happy birthday, and continuing to ignore Mark mostly, there was not more on his self-made agenda.

He sat next to Doyoung, leaning into the sofa, his ankle resting on his tight.

"How have you been?" he asked, unsure if he was too keen on the answer. Doyoung had always been a friend he wasn't too close with. They cared about each other, but Doyoung was quiet and bunny-like, easy to tease and quick to frustration.

He was especially frustrated with Hyuck and any of his friends.

"Good, I work part-time at a coffee shop while I'm finishing my master's degree."

"That's awesome," Hyuck answered.

Doyoung faced him, placing his beer down. "Yes, I guess."

They were silent for a minute or so, then Doyoung finally spoke up again. "I know we're all a bit of a mixed friend group and so on. I might be reading something wrong and mixing some stuff up—" he clearly didn't believe any of what he said "—but you and Mark, weren't you guys closer? Like best friends-close?"

Donghyuck sat a bit straighter.

"I'm sorry to pry, but it didn't slip my attention. I must admit I'm curious. What happened to you guys?"

Doyoung took his beer back, took a sip and looked at him expectantly.

He was always so severe. Righteous and praised rules highly. Doyoungs' world was neat and clean, nothing out of place. But Donghyuck's world was loud, dramatic, and chaotic.

That might be why they never texted. But whenever they saw each other, they talked about the deep topics. There was never a word said that was insignificant, and one would never be able to catch them talk about the weather. They got right to the point.

Or rather, Doyoung did.

"Mark is … you know how we never really are as close as I would like?" Hyuck said in a low voice, cautious of someone listening in to their conversation.

Doyoung frowned. "I can't follow."

"I like to hug him a lot. But he doesn't want to hug me. At all. So … I just stopped, you know?"

Doyoung stared at him.

"You stopped pestering Mark?"

Hyuck pouted. "It's not pestering."

Doyoung waved his comment off. "Whatever be the case, I just can't believe it. You? No contact. No way, you would die without having someone hugging you."

That was an uncharacteristically forward thing of him to say.

Hyuck averted his eyes.

"No. Tell me, who did you make Mark jealous with?"

_Jealous? Mark wouldn't be jealous, and you know it._

"Renjun."

Doyoung stared at him. "Renjun, as in Huang Renjun? Wow, that's… that's quite a pick."

Hyuck shrugged. "I thought, why not make Jaemin and Jeno realise their obsession over Renjun? And I could solve my problem, too."

Shaking his head, Doyoung emptied his beer.

"I'm going to get another one. And you, you're quite something. I hope you sort it out before Mark forgets you exist."

Hyuck hit his chest with both his hands. "It's me, don't you know?"

"알겠지*", Doyoung smiled. "You have your plan. I just hope it works out for you."

_It will, you'll see._

* * *

你爸 (Nǐ bà) = Your father/dad

仁俊 = Renjun

알겠지 (algessji) = I get it / OK / I understand (banmal, informal speech)

I'm kinda sad that I wrote YangYang out because he didn't get to say much yet. But I'll find a way to bring him back for sure ^^


End file.
